Work Out [without the gym]

“Learn to work out in your own home”

In terms of physical fitness, these are some of the best words of advice I have ever received.

As a busy Mom, student, employee, etc., it is so important for me to be able to get my exercise done at home. Especially on those days that keep me out of the house from 9 to 6! It’s those days in particular that I simply don’t want to spend any more time away from my family in order to hit up the gym. Yet at the same time, I don’t want to neglect my body simply because I’m busy.

Enter home work outs.

Believe me, doing the majority (95%) of my work outs at home is certainly a challenge. There are so many more distractions and it’s difficult to pass by the couch in favor of the treadmill – but I do it. And to be honest – I feel so accomplished when I kick my own ass at home.

Take the past week, for example.

I worked out 4 times – all at home. On Tuesday, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and followed that up with a strength work out from Jamie Eason’s LiveFit trainer.

I should mention that I have not been following this program very strictly. I originally planned on doing so, but I just couldn’t give up my beloved cardio! So I’m doing the work outs a few times a week with cardio included. I may not get the intended results, but my overall goal was to get more strength in – so in that respect, it’s working.

On Thursday, I whipped out an old, forgotten friend – Turbofire. I seriously forgot how fun and amazing these DVDs are! I did the Turbo 45 DVD and my entire core was screaming the next day. I love it.

On Friday, I worked from 9 to 5 and then came home to the treadmill. To be honest, when I waked in the door all I wanted to do was get in my pajamas and veg out. Instead, I used a little trick that usually results in a good work out. I put on my work out clothes, jumped on the treadmill, and told myself that if I wasn’t feeling it after a mile, I’d quit. I did 3 miles. Effective, right?

On Saturday, I popped in another Turbofire DVD – this time it was Turbo 30. Quick, sweaty, and fun! Now, that’s my kind of work out. I followed that up with another LiveFit session.

So, my point here is that it doesn’t have to be hard to work out when you’re busy. You just have to find that internal motivation and get it done. Sure, the gym is a much more motivating environment. You’re surrounded by like-minded individuals with similar goals. But you don’t need a fancy gym membership to lose, maintain, or even build.

This is something that I really want to share with others! I so often hear people say that they are too busy to work out.

So work out at home! Subtract the time it takes to drive to the gym. Don’t worry about finding a babysitter. Heck, wake up in the morning and forget even making yourself look slightly presentable to the public. 30 minutes is all it takes.

Tips for working out at home:

1. Invest in a piece of equipment. You know what one of my favorite things is? Catching up on shows while walking on the treadmill. It’s so much better than sitting on the couch while doing the same. So invest in a bike, treadmill, elliptical. Sure, they’re expensive, but the one-time investment will pay off more than you can imagine.

2. Use DVD’s. You can get a Netflix membership for $8/month which you can use to try out exercise DVD’s. Like one? Purchase it! If you’re a Comcast customer, then you can utilize On Demand work outs. They’re right there just waiting for you to push play! Of course, there are always the more expensive sets – Turbofire, Insanity, P90x. These do wonders for your work outs and somehow make you feel as if you’re in a class rather than at home.

3. Invest in simple equipment – dumbbells, resistance bands, a stability ball. I’ve accumulated a nice little home gym simply by asking for these as gifts or treating myself when something is on sale. I actually found a gently used set of steps for only 3 dollars at a garage sale! Garage sales/craigslist/eBay are all great for finding gently used equipment.

4. Utilize the internet. Seriously, you could use only the internet to get fit. BodyRock, bodybuilding.com, Jamie Eason’s LiveFit trainer, blogs, etc..They are all great (and FREE) resources to help you stay/get in shape.

5. Stay motivated! Write down your goals, preplan your workouts, enlist friends to keep you accountable – do whatever it takes to stay on top of your fitness. Supposedly it only takes 21 days to form a habit – so kick your own ass for 21 days and then let stick with your habit. You will not regret it.

And finally, DON’T GIVE UP. Damn, I sound like a hallmark card, but seriously. So you skipped a few days, you ate crap, you lost motivation for a bit – who cares? Just pick back up where you left off and eventually the missteps will be fewer and the successes will be the majority.

I seriously tell myself this all this. Stop wasting energy thinking about what you didn’t do yesterday AND just go do it today!

Okay, so somehow I got into a bit of a rant. But I wish I knew all of this a few years ago when I had every excuse in the book. Being dedicated is where it’s at and excuses are lame.

And with that, I’m off. Have a wonderful day guys! And remember…